Begin by moving the red slider from left to right. Observe how the net forms the three dimensional shape of a cube. Move the red slider back to the left. Now begin changing the pattern of the net by moving the blue slider. Notice that though the pattern of the net changes, the different patterns still form a cube by moving the red slider from left to right.

There are three main elements that can be used when classifying three-dimensional shapes. These elements consist of faces, edges and vertices. Watch the following short video clip for an explanation of these three elements and how they are used to classify three-dimensional shapes.